ByPaul Birch

BBC Sport journalist

Ghana had a troubled build-up to the World Cup after coach Otto Addo was dismissed following a string of poor results just 72 days before the start of the tournament.

The experienced Carlos Queiroz was drafted in to take charge for his fifth successive World Cup following stints with Portugal and Iran.

He will have been delighted with his team's start, a last-gasp victory over Panama raising hopes of a first appearance in the knockout stage since their famous run to the quarter-finals in 2010.

BBC Sport takes a look at five key players England need to watch out for.

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Antoine Semenyo

Club: Manchester City Age: 26 Position: Winger Caps: 35 Goals: 3

When talking about this Ghana squad it would be remiss not to start with their star man, Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo.

He arrived at the World Cup fresh from finishing third in the Premier League's Golden Boot standings for 2025-26 after scoring 17 goals across spells at Bournemouth and Manchester City.

He fitted in seamlessly at Etihad Stadium after his £65m January move and helped the club win two trophies, scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup final.

Genuinely two footed, over the past two Premier League campaigns he has had 103 shots with his left foot and 95 with his right, and played equal minutes across both wings.

It's therefore a real anomaly that he has only scored three goals in 35 internationals for Ghana, and just one in his past 28 caps.

Caleb Yirenkyi

Club: Nordsjaelland Age: 20 Position: Midfielder Caps: 12 Goals: 2

One of Europe's sought-after young midfielders, Yirenkyi added to his valuation when he scored a 94th-minute winner in Ghana's opening match against Panama.

Former Black Stars coach Addo used the box-to-box midfielder out of position at right-back, but new boss Queiroz has restored the 20-year-old to the position in which he has excelled at club level.

Among midfielders in the Danish top flight in 2025-26, Yirenkyi led the way for possession won in the opposition's final third (26) and ball recoveries (205), while he ranked third across all players for successful passes in the opposition half (881).

A keen student as a child, he won Ghana's 2019 National RiSE Robotics Championship, external aged 13.

Jordan Ayew

Club: Unattached Age: 34 Position: Forward/Attacking midfielder Caps: 121 Goals: 34

Ayew became Ghana's record cap holder in their opening match against Panama, overtaking the previous mark of 120 set by his brother Andre.

When Jordan was made captain in 2025 he said it was "written in the stars," as he joined both his legendary father Abedi Pele and his brother in having led the Black Stars.

Chasing his first World Cup goal at his third tournament, Ayew, 34, has scored 14 times in his past 22 caps - including a hat-trick in qualifying against Central African Republic.

He actually scored more goals in qualifying for this World Cup (seven in 10) than he did for Leicester City in 2025-26 (six in 45). The Foxes released him after being relegated for the second successive season.

Brandon Thomas-Asante

Club: Coventry City Age: 27 Position: Forward Caps: 9 Goals: 1

The versatile forward, who can play anywhere along the frontline, forced his way into Ghana's World Cup squad after an impressive season at Coventry.

He scored 13 goals in their Championship title-winning campaign, behind only Haji Wright among his team-mates.

Born in Milton Keynes, Thomas-Asante came through their academy and played for the likes of Ebbsfleet, Oxford City and Salford City before moving to the Championship with West Brom and then the Sky Blues.

He made an immediate impact in Ghana's opening game against Panama, coming off the bench to set up Caleb Yirenkyi's winner.

He is renowned for his dance moves and used to perform in a street dance group. His initiation dance in front of the Ghana squad went viral.

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Club: Atalanta Age: 24 Position: Winger Caps 29 Goals: 1

Sulemana was officially the fastest player at the Qatar World Cup after being clocked at 22.2mph. His former Southampton team-mate and renowned speed merchant Theo Walcott described him as the quickest player he ever played with.

The left winger, who can also play as a centre-forward or playmaker, is known for his dribbling skills.

But question marks have been raised about his end product. He last scored for club side Atalanta in February, and has only netted once in 29 caps for Ghana.

He swapped the Championship for the Champions League when he left Southampton last summer to move to Italy.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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